techxpertsfandomcom-20200213-history
Processors
Overview The Processor or the CPU (Central processing unit) is a part of a computer system that executes sequences and instructions called a program. A top of the line CPU will tend to execute these programs much more faster compared to a lesser processor. The program that the CPU runs is stored in the computers system memory. I like big buts and i cannot lie - Vincent In the future CPU's will have smaller die which will give headroom for improvements in CPU's such as higher Ghz and multiple cores. A greater dependent on L1,L2,L3 cache may result in a larger memory cache in the future. What to look for in a CPU There are many things to look for when buying a new CPU to get the most out of your money. *Gigahertz (GHz) *Front Side Bus (FSB) *CPU Cache *Die Size *Price GHz One hertz = 1 cycle (complete action) per second. 100 hertz means 100 times a second... One Gigahertz equals one Billion cycles per second. So a 2.4GHz process will have 2.4 billion cycles per second. Therefore the higher the GHz, the faster the unit. FSB The frequency at which a processor (CPU) operates is determined by applying a clock multiplier to the front-side bus (FSB) . For example, a processor running at 3200 MHz might be using a 200MHz FSB with a multiplier of 16 at full load. This means there is an internal clock multiplier setting (also called bus/core ratio) of 16. That is, the CPU is set to run at 16 times the frequency of the front-side bus: 200 MHz ×16 = 3200 MHz. By varying either the FSB or the multiplier, different CPU speeds can be achieved. By changing the FSB or the multiplier is called overclocking. CPU Cache The CPU cache is used to reduce the time it takes to access memory. The cache is similar to ram, with the only difference being that it is smaller but faster. The cache stores copies of data from most frequently used memory locations. When the processor needs to read data from the main memory, it first checks if there is a copy in the cache. If so, the processor will access the data from the cache which in return, is faster when compared to reading from the main memory. Die Size The die size refers to the physical surface area of the chip which can be a decisive point when looking to purchase a new cpu. A smaller die size will result in a cooler chip which is vital if you wish to overclock it as overclocking the chip will result it in gaining a substantially higher temperature. The standard die size nowadays is around the 32-45nm mark. Price The price of the chip itself would probably be the most important factor. Different needs, different budgets and different desires could all influence your decision on the price you wish to pay. Generally it is not recommended to buy the best CPU in the market as the cost will not be too attractive when price/performance is looked at. A slightly slower model CPU would wreak similar benefits but ultimately will be cheaper which is more bang for buck. Brands There are currently two dominating brands of CPU's currently out there in the market: *Intel *AMD Intel Intel is a brand that has been dominating the CPU market ever since the introduction of their core2duo series. But prices on this brand can be alot more higher when compared to the performance it exerts. A premium is paid when buying these chips and therefore have not been tagged as bang for buck. Intel boasts the feature called Hyper-Threading which apparently gives performance boosts in certain areas. AMD Amd is a brand that has been trailing behind intel when it comes to performance but it has always been bang for buck as cheaper AMD CPU's would match up to some of Intels more pricier models or be slightly better in terms of performance.